Edgar's blood tasted different. Sam's was sweet but Edgar's had a tang to it that gave me instant energy. As if I had tapped into straight caffeine.

Edgar placed a hand over his mouth to muffle the sounds coming from through his lips. He didn't want to admit he liked it, even a little. He is supposed to hate vampires with all his being. If he admitted he liked the feeling of being bitten, that idea would get thrown out the window.

When I felt the hunger subside, I pulled back from him and saw his flushed cheeks. His breathing was heavy and his eyelids were drooping. I had taken enough to give me strength and weaken his but not enough to cause any lasting damage.

He was holding back the sensations he received to keep some sort of badass front. He wanted to look as if it was the worst feeling in the world when we both knew the truth. He liked it and the muffled sounds he made while I fed said as much.

I wiped my lips as Edgar slid his sleeve back over his wrist. We shared an awkward look before straightening up and heading back into the main room. Allan finished with the customer and made his way over to us. The look on his face said he knew what had happened but he didn't bring it up. It was awkward enough as it was.

The store closed at midnight and from there we prepared until nearly 5 am. The plan was simple. We go in and look around. When we find them, take them out before they can do any more damage. It sounded easy on paper but we all knew the dangers we faced. This would not be easy but if we worked as a well-oiled machine, we'd survive.

Each of us packed a stake and holy water. It wasn't much but if they were asleep it should be in and out. Should be.

In the midst of planning, I ran home to change. I covered head to toe with long, thick clothing with a pair of combat boots, winter gloves, scarf, hat, and sunglasses. I even snatched my umbrella. The sun would be barely above the horizon when we arrived but leaving was a different story. That would be where I'd find the most difficulty.

Just as the sky lightened to shades of red and yellow, we headed out of the comic store toward the abandoned yogurt shop. I could feel the sun, even though I couldn't see it. I felt sick and clammy but I had to stay focused. I would not fail them now.

We arrived to find the front door boarded shut with wickedly long nails, the windows just as secure. The three of us maneuvered around the back and found the back door board free and unlocked. This made us all go on high alert.

Edgar nodded to us both and after a countdown of three pulled the door open. I went in first then Allan and then Edgar at the rear. The place was deathly quiet, the sound of dripping water coming from somewhere in the building. We split up to cover more ground. Edgar headed to the front, Allan to the kitchen, and I searched the back storage rooms.

I found nothing but spoiled food, dust, and more dust. No footprints, other than my own, disturbed the dirty floor. No one had been in these storage rooms for a long time.

I began searching through a box that was left on one of the shelves when I heard Edgar yell from the other room. I ran with my vampiric speed to find him and Allan standing over something. When I got a closer look, I realized it was someone.

I crouched down beside the boy who lay on his side in almost a fetal position. I placed my fingers to his throat to check for a pulse but no movement came from under my fingertips. I turned him onto his back and saw the ragged bite on his throat; he was gone.

"He's still warm," I muttered, rising to my feet. "They must be in the building."

"You would be correct."

All three of us shot around to find a girl standing behind us. She was maybe fifteen years old. Her hair was dirt-encrusted and her feet were just as dark. Her clothes were torn and wearing thin in places. She was the vampire that attacked me in the woods.

"She's not one of the four," Allan whispered.

"She must've been turned by them," Edgar whispered in return.

As the brothers shared this quiet conversation, I kept my attention on the girl. She looked worse than she had the last time I saw her. The others did not take of Madison. They were using her and that was clearly obvious.

"Madison, it's me, Dawn. Remember?" I said, meeting the girl's feral gaze. "We just want to help. Tell us where they are."

The girl's expression was that of confusion but that was soon replaced with realization. Her grin grew deep, sadistic in nature. She looked rabid, ready to strike.

"I remember you. I do. Yes, I do. But I can't tell you. They told me not to tell," Madison said in a sing-songy voice.

"Don't make this any harder than it has to be," Edgar warned, clutching the stake tight in his hand.

Her eyes flickered over to the stake as her smile grew with amusement. "I like making it harder. I have to distract you. That's my job."

"Distract us from what?" Allan asked.

"From getting to the blond boy."

We all knew who she spoke of, the look we shared said it all. The blond boy was Sam. They had Sam.

"Where is the blond boy?" I asked, clenching my fists so tight my skin turned pure white.

"If I told you that it would ruin the surprise. You like surprises, don't you?" she asked.

"Not those type of surprises," Edgar muttered.

Her smile dropped as she appeared before Edgar. He jumped at her sudden appearance, the girl looking him over and sniffing him. She looked down at her feet and when she looked back up her eyes were yellow.

"Well, I do."

Her hand flew forward into Edgar's face backhanding him across the room. She hit him with such force that he flew into the opposite wall, dust flying up around him when he collapsed to the floor.

Allan and I watched Edgar go flying before Allan turned back furious. He lunged at the girl but she was fast and was behind him before he had a chance to see her. She kicked the back of his knee and as he dropped she hit him just like Edgar. Allan went flying into the counter, cracking the old wood.

I then transformed and bared my fangs. The amused girl did the same, hissing at me like a snake. I flew at her as she flew at me. We met in the middle spinning around one another as our feet hit the ground. I hit her then she'd hit me. I'd block and then she'd block.

As we fought, I saw Edgar rising out of the corner of my eye with holy water in hand. I kept her busy as he inched closer. When he was right behind me, I ducked away and he threw the water into her face. The sound she made was unlike anything I had ever heard.

She clutched at her face as if trying to wash the water away but all it did was burn her fingertips. When she pulled back she looked just like Paul had before he was thrown into the bathtub. Allan came to stand beside Edgar as they shared a plan without having to say a word.

The two ran forward and grabbed the vampire by her arms, body-slamming her into the floor. Each brother held her arm as I straddled her waist, holding the stake above my head. I would make the killing blow.

"Where is the blond boy?!" I screamed.

"It's too late for him now."

"Where is he?!" I screamed louder, becoming more and more desperate.

"He's past saving."

I screamed one last time as I shoved the stake deep into her heart. We all backed away once she was staked to the floor and waited. No vampire went out the same.

She struggled against the stake for several moments before going completely still. We inched closer, which we realized was a huge mistake when she exploded, guts and blood spraying up at all of us. Edgar got the brunt of it.

I wiped my eyes as Allan pulled skin from his hair and Edgar tried not to gag at his facial of blood. He wiped the blood from his face with frantic hand movements, rubbing his hands on his pants. Even after, his skin was stained red.

"What do we do now?" Allan asked, putting his hands on his hips. "They have Sam."

"We go and get him," I insisted.

"We don't know where they are and if you've forgotten the sun is up," Edgar said, pulling something from his hair. "We reconvene tonight after we've cleaned up. We'll have to figure out a plan then."

"But that'll be too late!" I whined.

"There is nothing we can do until tonight. We just have to hope Sammy can hold out till then."